Tilt App Review: $400 Cash Advances But Mixed Experiences
Tilt Cash Advance isn't available on Finder right now.
- Min. Amount
- $10
- Max. Amount
- $400
- Turnaround time
- 2 to 5 days to linked bank account or Empower Card for free, instant to bank account for a fee
Our verdict
Cash advances with no credit check or late fees — but reviews are mixed and it costs $8 per month.
Tilt offers fast cash advances up to $400 with no interest or credit check required, but you’ll need to pay an $8 monthly subscription after a 14-day free trial. Approved amounts typically start low, with the average being $100 for first-time users and $174 for repeat customers. The app is easy to use and offers budgeting help, a savings tool and credit monitoring, but customer reviews are mixed.
Best for: People who want an interest-free cash advance and are OK with paying a monthly fee.
Pros
-
No credit check required
-
Get cash in one business day (or instant for a fee)
-
No interest charges
Cons
-
$8 monthly subscription fee
-
Negative customer reviews
-
Approved cash advance amount may be low
Empower is now Tilt
Empower officially rebranded as Tilt in August 2025. Existing users can continue using the same login and account. Along with the new name, Tilt increased its maximum cash advance to $400 and now offers free next-business-day delivery, a shorter turnaround than before.
Is Tilt legit?
Yes, Tilt is a legitimate financial services app that offers cash advances, lines of credit and credit cards along with budgeting help, a savings tool and credit score monitoring. Originally named Empower, the company has provided over $1 billion to 5 million+ customers since its inception in 2016.
The app uses Plaid to securely connect to your bank account, an industry-standard tool used by many reputable financial apps. However, its reputation is mixed, with some reviewers citing issues like unexpected subscription charges, unresponsive customer support and trouble canceling accounts.
What makes Tilt shine?
Tilt stands out for offering fee-free cash advances of up to $400 with no interest, no credit check or late fees. Funding is available within minutes for a fee or within one business day for free.
Plus, Tilt focuses on your income and banking activity to approve you for cash, making it more accessible to people with lower credit scores, variable income or gig work. And repayment automatically comes out of your bank account the next time you get paid, so you don’t have to worry about missing a payment.
The Tilt app offers budgeting, savings and credit monitoring tools which helps justify the cost of the monthly subscription. If you’re looking for other borrowing options, Tilt also offers a line of credit and unsecured credit cards (though you can only use one of the three lending options at a time).
Where Tilt falls short
The most obvious area where Tilt falls short is the cost. It charges an $8 monthly subscription fee, which kicks in after a 14-day free trial. That’s higher than several competitors. And, some apps don’t require a subscription at all.
Customer service can also be a sticking point. Support is supposedly available by phone during weekday business hours and by email, but many customers report difficulty reaching anyone. The app also receives low ratings from past customers on Trustpilot. If you’re looking for a cash advance app like Tilt with a better reputation, try EarnIn or Cleo.
Tilt details
| Product name | Tilt Advance |
| Loan amount | $10 to $400 |
| Loan term | Until your next payday |
| Turnaround | Next business day or instant for a fee (Free instant cash advances available if you have a Tilt debit card) |
| Costs (think subscription fees) | Monthly subscription fee of $8 after 14-day free trial Optional instant transfer fee of $1 to $12 (Varies by advance amount) No late payment fees or interest |
| Requirements | Be 18 years of age or older Download the app on your smartphone Link to a valid checking account Can’t have either a Tilt line of credit or credit card (only one product allowed at a time) |
| Availability | Not available in: Connecticut, Maine |
Tilt contact info
| Phone number | 888-943-8967 |
| Customer service hours | Weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET |
| help@tilt.com | |
| In-app chat | Available 24/7 |
| X, formerly Twitter | @tilt |
| @TiltHQ | |
| @tilt_hq |
How to qualify for Tilt
You need to meet these general requirements to get a Tilt cash advance:
- Be 18 years old or older
- Hold a checking account with a US financial institution
- Have a cell phone number that operates in the US
- Authorize Tilt to link with your bank account so it can analyze your income and spending patterns to determine a cash advance limit
Other features
Besides cash advances, the Tilt app offers other features, including:
- Personalized budgeting. Create spending caps for categories and get real-time alerts for deposits, bills and purchases.
- AutoSave. Set a weekly or paycheck-based savings goal, and Tilt’s AI automatically moves aside money based on your budget.
- Credit score monitoring. Track your credit score in the app and get suggestions to help build it.
- Smart recommendations. Get AI-driven tips when bills go up, fees hit your account or credit usage climbs.
- Unsecured credit cards. Choose from three Tilt cards that help you build credit with cash back rewards and no credit check required.
- Line of credit. Borrow up to $1,000 with no credit check and no interest if repaid by your next payday (or 35.99% APR for a longer repayment period).
Keep in mind that you can’t have a Tilt cash advance, line of credit and credit card all at the same time. You must choose one of the three lending options at a time.
Tilt reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | No |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | B |
| BBB customer reviews | 1.06 out of 5 stars, based on 32 customer reviews |
| BBB customer complaints | 284 customer complaints |
| Trustpilot Score | 1.6 out of 5 stars, based on 59 customer reviews |
| App Store Score | 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 345,600 customer reviews |
| Google Play Score | 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on 247,000 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 20 August 2025 |
Reviews of Tilt (formerly Empower) are mixed. On the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot sites, the vast majority of reviews are negative. Customers primarily complain about the monthly subscription fee, saying that the company continues to deduct it from their bank accounts even after they’ve canceled the service. They also complain that customer service is difficult to reach, with no live person to talk to.
Additional complaints include not getting an advance they were approved for, repayments deducted before payday, cash advance amounts being reduced over time, bugs with the app and not getting approved for a cash advance.
The company receives far more favorable reviews on Google Play and the App Store, where it has earned 4.7 and 4.8 stars, respectively. Satisfied customers praise the app for being straightforward and easy to use. They appreciate being able to get a cash advance quickly to help when they’re in a financial bind, especially since there are no interest charges.
What do people on Reddit say?
Those with negative experiences report that the company continues to deduct a subscription fee from their bank account even though they never took out a cash advance. They also state that when they try to contact customer service to stop the deduction, they’re unable to reach a representative. Difficulty unlinking their bank account and repayments coming out before payday were also topics of conversation
Compare Tilt to other apps
Want to see how Tilt stacks up against its competitors? Check out our chart below to find out.
Compare other products
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
How we picked theseWhat is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches 3+ types of short-term loans across 65+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best short-term loans for all credit types, you can see how each short-term loan stacks up against other short-term loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type.
Frequently asked questions
Your reviews
Christi Finder
Contributor
Hi there, looking for more information? Ask us a question.
You are about to post a question on finder.com:
- Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
- finder.com is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
- We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
- Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked
Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our finder.com Terms of Use and Privacy and Cookies Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.